I know, I know: you want to know which comics are worth your time and money this week. I mean, that is why you’re here, right? Don’t worry–I’ve got you covered. Without further ado, uh, don’t read too quickly–or you’ll miss the good stuff. I mean, that’s why you’re here. Right?

Evolution #9 (Image)

Gideon Falls #6 (Image): I&N Demand Five Five Five Five Five–what a fucking ride. Jeff Lemire plants more and more seeds, revealing further the investment the characters have in the still-burgeoning mystery of the Black Barn; and, in the end, he opens the door to those characters’–and to our–greatest fears; and those fears, friends, are red. Blood. Red. And the pace, the pulse, the arrhythmic beat that drives the blood, is set by the heart of the book: Andrea Sorrentino’s stunningly disorienting layouts, which, along with Dave Stewart’s palpitating palette, bring the reader into that psychotic space–into the madness, the anxiety, and, yes, into the aforementioned fear–not unlike how, in Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad exploits his overwrought prose to take his reader on a necessarily arduous journey of self-reflection; and, as we hold #6, we’ll be holding hands with the creators, with the characters–and together, we’ll head into the red.

The Gravediggers Union #9 (Image)

Ice Cream Man #6 (Image)

Mage: The Hero Denied #11 (Image)

Skyward #5 (Image): I&N Demand Look! Up in the sky! It’s a girl–and she can fly! While another comic’s she could fly, this one can, kinda, thanks to the gravity fail that befell the planet. Four issues in Joe Henderson’s shown a propensity for using the requisite twenty-two in a measured manner, keeping himself grounded in his high-sky “Low-G” world. It’s a smart approach, his pushing Willa forward, staying tethered to Willa; doing so sustains the relationship we have with her and amplifies the issue-focused–and issue-to-issue–tension, as, in this case, she continues to navigate her relationship with her father–not unlike her making her way through the city like some angelic aerialist–in the face of her accidentally selling him out. Lee Garbett’s artwork–with colors by Antonio Fabela–sells well the weightlessness of the characters yet doesn’t undermine the gravity of the situation. The best evidence: the dangerous yet beautiful double-page spread and the final page turn. Enough to take your breath away.

The Weatherman #3 (Image)

The Wicked & The Divine #38 (Image)

Ether: The Copper Golems #4 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand I can’t get enough of what Matt Kindt and David Rubín are doing with Ether: The Copper Golems. It’s a gift is what it is: it’s Kindt coaxing the very best out of a game Rubín in order to emphatically express his confidence in humanity. Every page–the meticulous and magical arrangement of joyful words and vibrant colors–exudes love; each issue is a clarion call to us readers–us lucky readers–to aspire to be more because inherently we are more. There’s a legacy–it’s literary, it’s artistic, it’s philosophical, it’s spiritual–that is our burden and our destiny. I see it: it’s “sweetness and light”–and it’s beautiful. I certainly loved #3 enough to make it the subject of my inaugural 22 I&N 22. Something–wait, no, it’s someone–more: someones–certainly Kindt and Rubín, their story resonating still–are telling me that I’m going to love this one, too.

Batman #53 (DC): I&N Demand At this point, there’s very little to say as to why Batman is I&N Demand. “Tom King’s at the top of his game.” “Tom King is in complete control of blah blah blah.” “Tom is the King of yada yada.” It’s all been said. For the love of all that’s holy, he’s got nothing left to prove. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, has something to prove–he said as much at the end of #52; and I can’t wait to hear it. (To be fair, I’ll reserve my judgment until after reading; but I am inclined to believe whatever he says. I’ve been conditioned.) I can’t wait to see it, either: Lee Weeks’ work is stunning–with Elizabeth Breitweiser’s colors, it’s iceconic–with intricate panel work–that Bat vs. Freeze through the various Ice Ages is fire; and Bat’s ground and pound is bloody cold, man, reminiscent of Mark “The Hammer” Coleman–and massive splashes, each a frozen tableau that takes the temperature down, down, down, deep into the cold black of Bruce’s guilt. (Oh, those blacks tho.) So, as I initially insisted: it’s just another week in King’s run–I&N Demand, in perpetuity.

Pearl #1 (DC)

The Wild Storm #16 (DC)

Babyteeth #12 (Aftershock): I&N Demand Raining blood. Raining. Goddamned. Blood. That’s so fucking metal! But right in the middle of that shit, Sadie and Clark, under an “umbrella-ella-ella ay ay ay.” Pop! Yup: that was a vessel in my brain bursting from the strain of having to reconcile this blasphemous–and pretty fucking funny–genrerational mash-up! Great, great Garry Brown cover. It shows that a mother will protect her child from the nastiest weather; and Sadie, well, she wants her baby back, baby back, baby back–and she’ll go through hell to get him. Donny Cates continues to craft Babyteeth as a fiery epic that flashes its horns and stealthily smirks at the true believers who flash ’em back in a sign of Satanic solidarity. I am “awaiting the hour of reprisal” with my horns held high. Babyteeth “shall [no doubt] reign in blood.”

Since it’s summertime, I’m Superdad full time; so I’m lucky enough to have my two daughters with me when I go to my favorite LCS–the great Android’s Amazing Comics, of course. The girls just love to browse the shop, to check out the comics–they really know how to handle them–and the blind bags–they certainly know how to handle them–and the–as my little one calls them–soft things: you know: a rainbow of My Little Ponies and blood-red My Murderous Deadpools–all the things kids love! Oh, it’s such a joy, especially since they let me take my time–without any distractions at all!–at the big wall of new books.

I pray I find these:

Leviathan #1 (Image)

Paper Girls #23 (Image)

Seven to Eternity #10 (Image)

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #37 (Image): I&N Demand I loved #36! It’s easily one of my favorite single issues of the year. David Lapham emptied his clip into that one: Spanish Scott and Monster–talk about toxic masculinity! (Oooh, this issue’s a black and white Superfund site!) “Monsters are comin’,” indeed! Gotta love those bad dudes–but not as much as Love Yourself–err—himself. I fell for that fucker right away, and it’s no surprise why: on the surface, he’s sunshine and roses; but on the inside, there’s some kinda complicated shit goin’ on. The love, the pain, the humor in the bespectacled face of death–I rooted my ass off for Love. And that final page, tho. That‘s a stray bullet right through the motherfucking heart. Color me kinda nervous going into this next one. Fucking monsters.

Batman #52 (DC): I&N Demand Batman vs. Bruce Wayne! OK, so Bruce was a little hot after being left at the ledge. Does that mean he–as Bat–had to put the heat on Freeze? Hell yeah it does! But Bruce gets it: he knows he went too far; and now, to remedy the situation, he’s got to fight eleven fellow Gothamites–those very citizens he’s fought for all along while wearing the cape and cowl! I can’t wait to see how this plays out. Tom King–FYI: CIA BEF DC–takes his take on torture/enhanced interrogation techniques to the chilly jury room, and Lee Weeks kills it with his gritty realism. All together, #51 is powerful issue that sets up one heck of a Battle–let the deliberations begin!

Mister Miracle #10 (DC): I&N Demand I’ve never cared for the New Gods. But now–now I care about the New Gods–because through nine issues, the New King has taken us through one emotional Boom Tube after another. He–with the Eisner-winning help of Mitch Gerads–has got the gods grounded in the real and still they’re goddin’ it well enough to make it all so much more. One thing Scott Free will never escape: Tom King–they’re chained together forevermore.

Captain America #2 (Marvel)

The Immortal Hulk #4 (Marvel): I&N Demand I really liked #1. #2 was aight. It had me kinda like Do I need this? (Already droppin’ lots of green every Wednesday, so…) I picked up #3 anyway and was totally Whoa! Al Ewing won me over with the multiple-perspectives-as-offered-by-multiple-artists approach. (Excited to see Garry Brown bangin’ out Big Green.) Loved it! It was incredible immortal! Happy to see, too, a little Alpha Flight action there at the end. As I told someone recently–if commenting on Instagram counts as telling: Alpha Flight is the bacon of comics: they make any book better! Two gamma-irradiated biceps way waaaaay up! Hoping this one flexes its muscles, too.

Survival Fetish #3 (Black Mask): I&N Demand Through two, the all-ways moving Survival Fetish really gratifies: the premise is super sexy; Patrick Kindlon’s writing is sharp–the narration and the dialogue double-teaming to deliver an engaging read; but the star of the show is Antonio Fuso, whose black and white art scrupulously sells Saheer’s experience–his ever-evolving “movement”–and, ultimately, runs this fucking town. In fact, I’m gonna sprint to the comic shop as soon as it opens to get my hands on this one–’cause there’ll probably only be one or two on the shelf and it’d suck to miss it–especially after the wait (it’s been a while) and after having re-read #2 to get my feet under me. Damn that was good!

Welcome to the 34th edition of I&N’s Top Ten Comics of the Year! Why, it seems like just yesterday we were bestowing our top honor to a little known comic from across the pond titled Warrior #1 (1982), solely for its inclusion of the work of a budding, young upstart named Alan Moore (who subsequently sent us a scroll with a nigh-illegible incantation, which was either a note of thanks or a curse from the Necronomicon; we could never tell which). While we dug his nascent V for Vendetta, it was his writing on Marvelman that enthralled. Happily, after a long absence, the original stories are finally being reprinted by Marvel Comics of all places (now re-titled Miracleman, due to the book’s long and tortured publishing history in which Marvel itself played an ignominious part). Viewed through the lens of history, this groundbreaking work has often been seen as Moore’s warm-up to his seminal, ubiquitous Watchmen. Visiting these stories afresh, however, it quickly becomes apparent that Moore’s initial go at “realistic” superheroes is as poetic, disquieting and masterful as his better-known oeuvre. Indeed, it’s a good thing we already recognized Marvelman’s greatness. Otherwise, despite Marvel’s awkward presentation (half of each issue is filler? and polybagged for no discernible reason?) these brilliant, essential tales would likely top our list again.

Speaking of which!

10. TheTwilight Zone (Dynamite):

This is the dimension of J. Michael Straczynski’s imagination. It is an area which we call the #10 book of 2014. Returning to a creative comfort zone, J.M.S. has penned a series of meticulously plotted arcs that could easily stand as episodes of the iconic television show, each issue filled with tight twists, palpable fear, and ethical dilemmas that try and crush the souls of men and women alike. Complementing Straczynski’s script is the gorgeous work of artist Guiu Vilanova, who draws out the fateful schemes in a realistic manner, making the unreal scenarios that much more believable–that much more frightening. So while Straczynski might be going through the motions with some of his other titles, here he’s most assuredly in the zone. We, unlike his protagonists, are the luckier for it; and Rod Serling’s somewhere out there in the timeless fifth dimension smiling, smoking–and waiting for the next issue of The Twilight Zone to hit the shelves. Sadly, Straczynski and Vilanova’s terrific turn on this moralistic monster of a comic has but one issue left! Ah, yet another cruel twist…(SC)

The Twilight Zone #4

9. Wild’s End (BOOM!):

At this point, the mash-up is a long accepted (if not well-worn) artistic trope throughout all types of media. Indeed the initial collaboration between creators Dan Abnett and I.N.J. Culbard yielded The New Deadwardians, a ripping Victorian detective story simply teeming with zombies and vampires wot, wot! Wild’s End’s mix of The Wind in the Willows and TheWar of the Worlds may seem an unlikely entry into the burgeoning genre at first (and ill-advised besides, given Alan Moore’s own memorable War of the Worlds mash-up in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). But in the end, what matters, as it always has, is the telling. Abnett fully realizes the quaint comforts of his cozy anthropomorphized village, before threatening to tear it to shreds. Culbard’s rendering is uncluttered and timeless, effortlessly evoking both 19th century fairy tales and 1950’s sci-fi cinema. Most mash-ups hold their disparate elements in stark relief. The magic of this one is that it seems utterly seamless, as though these genres had been married from the start. The result is deceptively simple and completely enchanting. (DM)

Wild’s End #3

8. Moon Knight (Marvel):

It’s an I&N first! That’s right: we’re celebrating a book that has had two different creative teams–over the course of the title’s first ten issues, no less! Yeah, that’s usually a bad sign. Not here, though: the launch team of Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey rocketed this latest incarnation of the second-string, schizophrenic servant of Khonshu into lunar orbit. In a series of connected one-offs, Ellis finds his–and Marc Spector’s–voice while favoring frugality: displaying his mastery of the craft–and enough confidence to cast a long shadow over some of his long-winded contemporaries–he wisely withdraws his words from the massive moments, not because they are unnecessary, but to allow Shalvey to shine like the fullest of moons–and shine he does, showcasing loudly his silent storytelling through striking sequences issue after issue. Now, the news that this team was only on board for a sixer didn’t come as a surprise, but it was disappointing, especially considering what the pair had accomplished in so short a time. The disappointment wouldn’t last long, however: the new team–Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood–came in with a clear plan and executed it with a vengeance. They were clearly not intimidated by the work before them, and their fearlessness helped them to hit the Marc–changing the titular character to suit this new phase–one that so far reads not unlike an episode–or an arc–of The Twilight Zone. Man, I only wish they’d gibbous more than one more issue! (See: sticking to the motif: it’s on to a newer phase–and on to creative team number three–with #13.) What they–both teams–have given us, however, has been superior–and vital–superhero fare; what they’ve given us is a white knight to lead us out of the dark. (SC)

Moon Knight #1

7. Zero (Image):

Certainly the most frustrating title on our list, Ales Kot’s nihilistic super-spy thriller could range from the poetically sublime one issue to incoherent violence the next. At different points this year we named it both Book of the Month and Biggest Dis(appointment) – one thing you could never call this book was ‘predictable’. But at its best, this title (drawn by an impressive roster of rotating artists) was at once lyrically beautiful and viscerally harrowing, loosely tethered, as it was, to real life arenas of violence. This was never more true than in issue #9, a tale (an origin story it turns out) set in the Bosnian War that encompassed deceit and innocence, hope and despair, and a tragic ultimatum that yielded new life in the face of brutal murder. Told in a spare 22 pages, it was possibly the best single comic we read all year. Holding up a mirror to the darkness of recent history, and shining a light upon it, however frail, not only to remember, but also to try to render something beautiful out of it, may well be a fruitless exercise. It may also be art. (DM)

Zero #10

6. Afterlife with Archie (Archie):

A no-brainer, really–well, only because said brains have been exuberantly consumed by the Jughead-led undead of Riverdale. Maestro Roberto Aguirre Sacasa and the perfectly frightening Franceso Francavilla have continued their brazen exploration into the heart of nostalgia by wearing the mask of familiarity while delivering something wholly unexpected–something undeniably challenging and zombeautiful. And, of course, there’s issue #4–our #2 book of March and one of the best single issues of the year–which, doggone it, made me cry. Real tears. See: as it turns, what happens to Vegas stays with you for a long, long time–like that heartbreaking song that’s so perfectly composed that you get lost in the shadow of every sorrowful note–and hope to never be found again. Sure, this isn’t the afterlife that they pitched in Sunday school, but if I’m being honest–and maybe a little bit blasphemous–I like this one a hell of a lot more. (SC)

Afterlife With Archie #4

5. The Massive (Dark Horse):

Environmental degradation and societal collapse have always been the subtext in Brian Wood’s magisterial, globe-trotting mystery. Well, in its unsparing final act, (with appropriately stark visuals by Garry Brown and Jordie Bellaire) subtext became text as the Ahab-like search for a missing vessel, which previously drove the narrative, was transformed into Judgement Day, with all the biblical proportion that implies. One always suspected that Wood would get around to driving his point home; that he did so with such force contrasted sharply with earlier issues, which were told with a subtlety that sometimes veered toward the opaque. The apocalyptic ending, with its uneasy mix of hope and misanthropy, served as a case study for a failed species: humanity. The series, in the end, is an impassioned, ecological cri de guerre, but one that is packed in a masterpiece of storytelling. (DM)

The Massive #24

4. Silver Surfer (Marvel):

Of the so-called “Big Two” in 2014, Marvel seemed to have the more cohesive game plan. Certainly, they thrived on the expected, event-driven, media-tie-in franchise titles. But they balanced the relentless grinding of the hype machine with some surprisingly refreshing takes on some of their lesser known characters; those B and C – listers who exist at a remove from the shenanigans of the their bread-and-butter superstars. That remove and relative obscurity allowed for a certain amount of freedom. Marvel, to their credit, brought in some top-tier talent and gave them a free hand with these characters (see Moon Knight, above). Call them the Outliers, for their success seems to be in inverse proportion to their proximity to the main goings on of the Marvel U. (Even everyone’s darling, Ms. Marvel, began to flag once she was saddled with Wolverine guest-appearances and increasing ties to Marvel’s ongoing Inhumanity storyline). What better place then for Silver Surfer to be, than on the fringes of the known universe? Dan Slott’s inspired choice of setting not only wisely removed him from the chess board, so to speak, it gives wunderkind artist Mike Allred the largest possible canvas in which to unleash imagination. Aliens, other dimensions, planet casinos; Allred brings the F-U-N to any project he’s involved in. As I’ve said before, he seems to inspire his collaborators to elevate their game, and Slott has proven up to the challenge. Together they’ve concocted the kind of absurdly sublime cosmic romp one would be hard-pressed to find anywhere this side of Terry Pratchett. And in Dawn Greenwood, small-town girl from Anchor Bay, Mass., they created the most winning new Marvel character of the year (the aforementioned Ms. Marvel notwithstanding). Finally, in pairing the Man from Beyond the Stars with the Girl Next Door, they also have the makings of the most adorable budding romance in comics. Truly they’ve producing the best monthly super-hero book on the stands. Let’s hope it survives Marvel’s Next Big Thing. (DM)

Silver Surfer #7

3. Dry Spell (Action Labs/Danger Zone):

Ken Krekeler’s Dry Spell is a book that kicks off with a bold promise–one in the form an artfully chosen quotation from the incomparable Alan Moore. In fact, I bought the book because I figured anyone ballsy enough to borrow so brazenly from the best must have something to say. Turns out that Krekeler didn’t have something to say after all–he had something to shout! Hey, Ken: I hear you. Loud and clear. OK, so, it took re-releasing your book (originally published through Krekeler’s own Kinetic Press in 2011) through a more established outfit like Action Labs to finally reach me; but thank goodness for that–for the person who knew this book needed to reach me and that it could only reach me this way; otherwise, I would’ve been deprived of this superb take on the superhero genre–a canvas filled with small voices and big moments, crazy twists and smart page-turns–in total, a “Howl” for the villain in us all. Krekeler–a previously unknown quantity–delivers on his book’s bold promise by taking advantage of the medium, particularly with his inventive dialogue and his sympathetic color palette; and he serves up a finale–the definitive finale–a perfect final issue that hits massive notes–the biggest struck by the tsunami of splash pages, the last–reminiscent of Rocky and Apollo (coincidence?) throwing punches that never quite connect at the end of Rocky III–declaring the Black Baron’s personal dry spell officially over. Good to know that this superior series–and best mini of 2014–isn’t over: the inside back cover of #4 makes another bold promise–one that Krekeler better keep, if he knows what’s good for him–and for us: Dry Spell 2 is coming soon. Yeah, not soon enough. (SC)

Dry Spell #4

2. Lazarus (Image):

What would you get if 1984 was directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay written by Noam Chomsky? The answer might look a lot like Lazarus. Alternating between a macro view of a near-future worldwide economic catastrophe and a microcosm of the inner-workings of one of the powerful Families who rose to power because of it, Lazarus, like most great socially-minded science fiction, feels at once expansive and suffocating. Creators Greg Rucka and Michael Lark have hit that sweet spot of dystopian dread, where the reader is exhilarated by the sheer breadth of this brave new world, even as its does its best to debase, dehumanize and stamp out any sign of resistance from its inhabitants. No mere escapism this; its true power comes from the realization that the seeds of the future nightmare it describes are currently being planted all around us, if only we would notice. Lazarus is a visionary sci-fi masterpiece for the early 21st century. (DM)

Lazarus #9

1. Mind MGMT (Dark Horse):

There was no denying Matt Kindt’s kinetic masterpiece this time around. Its ascension to the top spot of our annual Top Ten was as inevitable as truth and death: #3 (2012), #2 (2013), and now #1, the spot it so richly deserves for its clever cover homages (re: Rousseau [#18] and Magritte [#22]) and its ebullient barrages of images and words, which create a reading-cum-sensory experience even more unique than unique to the comic book genre. The year flew by in a fury of frantic page turns: from Meru’s failed recruitment of Ella the Animal Kid, an inventive and intense story inspired by Kindt’s own daughter and one of our favorite single issues of the year; to the illusory introduction of the Magician; to the frustratingly thoughtful silent issue, which actually earned the ignominious title of Biggest Dis(appointment) for the month of April; to Kindt’s pushing the petal-to-the-metal to reach the speed of heartbreak, the result of the death of a major character; to the father of clichéd revelations that manages to be fresh and affecting; and ultimately, to a showdown that’s all show up, leaving us to wait a little while longer for the final throw down between Meru and the Eraser. Kindt drives the narrative as only he can with his unexpected layouts and whitewater watercolors. His Field Guide/Voice of God–voice of Meru!–marginalia continue to draw more into the story, allowing us to draw more out–more out of the relative reality of the universe he’s created; more out of the fiction that empowers Meru in climactic moments; more out of the memories that are either reality or fiction–or both. There’s unquestionably more here in Mind MGMT than in any book on the shelf, which makes this our easy pick for the #1 book of 2014. (SC)

Publisher of the Year:This was the year that Image Comics doubled-down on its core strategy: attracting top-tier talent from throughout the industry and parlaying their success to create a space where lesser-known creators can play as well. The result was an avalanche of diversity that exemplified the boundless range of the medium (just check out how many Image titles made our Honorable Mentions, not to mention the two on our Top Ten). Were they all winners? Of course not. But each title was allowed to be its own idiosyncratic, little thing. To wit: Madame Frankenstein. Perhaps not one of the year’s best, Jamie S. Rich’s odd melange of Shelly’s classic horror story, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s milieu, Pygmalion‘s mores (stretched to their logical conclusion) and even Kafka-esque fatalism at the end, was unlike anything else on the stands, possibly ever. Furthermore, Megan Levens tackled such complex, macabre subject matter with an art style that was a cartoony blend of Jeff Smith and Ted Naifeh; in other words something one is more accustomed to seeing in a YA book. As a visual approach, it stretched the overall reading experience almost to the point of incongruity. Was Madame Frankenstein a complete success? I’m still not sure. But it sure was fascinating watching the creators try. And for giving such singular titles like this one a place to exist, I’m grateful to Image Comics. (DM)

This week isn’t defined so much by the number of books I’m getting as it’s defined by one particular book I’m getting. You’ll know which one when you get to it. So much for self control!

The Massive #26 (Dark Horse): Winding down to the end. (I’m still in denial about it, mind you.) #25 was OK–tough to be the first issue after an arc that truly slakes the thirst like “Sahara”–but had that “setting up the wind down” feel to it. Silver lining: answers are on the horizon.

Mind MGMT #25 (Dark Horse): Can’t type about #24 without first mentioning the gorgeous wraparound cover–which, by the way, was won at auction by some lucky fan for a smidgen over $5000: I got Lyme disease just looking at it! Inside, a bit of a retrospective, more a Rosetta Stone–all through the lens of Henry Lyme, who’s heart is so lovingly revealed–and it’s Merutiful!. Loved it. OK, so, the big question about this month’s issue: how much is this cover going to go for?

Mind MGMT #25

Pop #1 (Dark Horse):This poppy premise is definitely Top 40: a prefabbed pop princess goes off the reservation! Will she auto-tune her way out of trouble? Or will she go full Milli Vanilli? Don’t know the creators, but when has that ever stopped me? Here’s hoping that Curt Pires and Jason Copland deliver a hit–and that they’re not one-hit wonders.

Pop #1

Bodies #2 (DC/Vertigo): Loved, loved, loved the quilt that Si Spencer stitched together with his coterie of co-creators. We liked it so much that we’ve made it one of our Top 5 Books of July! (Write-up to come.)

Bodies #2

Dead Boy Detectives #8 (DC/Vertigo): Continues to be an engaging read a la The Books of Magic ongoing.

Superman #34 (DC): Finally! A Superman book worth reading! It’s felt like forever since Morrison left and took his massive moments with him. Two issues into their arc, Johns and Romita, Jr. have proven that they are worthy successors–even if they are a bit more straightforward in terms of storytelling.

The Last Fall #2 (IDW): Wasn’t knocked out by #1, but I’m going to try another. Why? Since you asked: I’m giving Tom Waltz my attention because of his terrific work on TMNT. I’m loyal like that.

Low #2 (Image): Not high on this but not exactly low, either. Yes, #1 read like a Remender book; but Greg Tocchini’s art, which is pretty excellent, made me think but not mind that I was basically reading The Wake Part II #1. I’m going to go against my better judgement and buy this one. I don’t know–maybe this’ll be the book that finally turns me toward Remender. Then again, the writer’s own words from #1 haunt–and taunt–me; they are essentially telling me to lay off: “Being optimistic doesn’t mean you have to ignore the realities around you.” Preach, Reverend Rick. Preach.

Low #2

The Manhattan Projects #23 (Image): In #22, Hickman refers to a “line between the mundane and the divine.” Usually, TMP is firmly planted on the divine side; it’s as consistent a book as you’re going to find. However, much of #22 toes that ironically referenced line; in fact, it does a much-too-talky tip-toe dance for a goodly part of the book. But, in typical Hickman fashion, it ends elegantly on pointe. And blade. And spike.

Outcast #3 (Image): The story is compelling enough, with its layers and all. Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta–whose art, as colored by Elizabeth Breitweiser, reminds of David Aja’s–have done a fine job of developing a sense of dread–you know, the seventh sense–and authentic sympathy for Kyle.

Saga #22 (Image): Honesty: #19 and #20 left me a bit wanting; yeah, hadn’t been feeling so gaga about Saga–until #21, that is. Oof, what a comeback. (Not so much for Mama Sun, though, eh?) Five big splashes from Fiona Staples help hammer home the love, the hate, the hurt–the brilliance—of Saga.

Saga #22

Wayward #1 (Image): Marketed as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a new generation,” but gonna give it a try anyway. God knows I love a me a good “supernatural spectacle,” you know, like the supernaturally terrific Thomas Alsop (BOOM!).

All-New X-Men #31 (Marvel): Still haven’t gotten a hold of #30. Figures that just as I came around to what Bendis is doing I can’t find the damn book on the shelf. My fault, I guess. I should’ve put it on my pull list as soon as things turned toward the positive for me.

Original Sin #5.4 (Marvel): Once again, a crossover has come along and murdered momentum–in the case of Loki: Agent of Asgard, magical momentum. It’s been nice to look at; otherwise, I can’t wait for this nonsense to fall away so we can get back on the alluringly loqucious Lokimotive.

Silver Surfer #5 (Marvel): We’ve celebrated each of the first three issues as a top book of the month. (See: March, April, and June.) #4 was great, too; but, because of all of the greater books that dropped in July, it missed being a Top 5 book. It was easily a Top 10 title, though. Despite a dignified drop in the I&N rankings, one thing’s been a constant: SS has been a perfect marriage of writer and artist: Slott’s writing the new adventures of Norrin Radd like it was his professional destiny, and Allred’s, well, Allred: he is the power cosmic complement who makes the book pop–for as long as they both shall live. Or at least until their hang-tenure is over.

Silver Surfer #5

Brass Sun #4 (2000 A.D.): I’m digging Brass Sun. I like the possibilities offered up by the universe that Ian Edginton’s created, and I’ve really taken to artist I.N.J. Culbard’s approach and how carries the story without ever distracting from it. #3, with its twists and spurns, has kicked things up a notch. On to the next!

Evil Empire #4 (BOOM!): Speaking of a #3 that delivered some twists! Glad I didn’t ditch after #2! Can’t look past the great covers by Jay Shaw, either. Then again, you have to, you know, if you want to read the book. Rest assured: it’s OK if you want to judge Evil Empire by this cover:

Evil Empire #4

The Sixth Gun #42 (Oni Press): Still a bit behind. This’ll sit on a short stack, which I will–i must–read before I go back to work.

X-O Manowar #28 (Valiant): Generally, I don’t care for crossovers, but the Armor Hunters diversion works well here, for obvious reasons. Sure, Archer & Armstrong and Quantum and Woody deserve the accolades they’ve received. (Harvey noms are nothing to sneeze at.) Robert Venditti, however, deserves a lot of credit for playing a one-note character into a symphony of sympathy, which has lasted, now, for twenty-eight issues.

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

Bee and Puppycat #3 (BOOM!): Avery just thinks that Bee and Puppycat is the dog’s meow.

The Massive #25 (Dark Horse): Since February, The Massive has been an I&N monthly Top 5 Book. That’s a record five months in a row! On the strength of that, I think it’s safe to say that Brian Wood’s book is headed for the Top Ten of 2014. For the most part, “Sahara” delivered its powerful feminist message in the understated manner–Women! Water! Life!–we’ve come to expect from Wood. (If I’m being fair, Part Three felt a bit preachy at times, but not to the detriment of the issue or of the arc.) The final arc–with its promise of Massive answers–begins here.

Veil #4 (Dark Horse): Has been somewhat disappointing–the last issue, in particular. I’m not caring too much about the femme ratale. There’s something all too familiar about her. Fejzula’s art’s been good, though. I’m riding it out because it’s a fiver.

East of West #14 (Image): Has been North of Excellent. Hickman and Dragotta certainly took their time building a big world–which is Hickman’s bag, ain’t it?; oh, but they’ve been hitting big–no, really big notes of late. (#12, in particular, was ridiculously good.) A dark robot horse for my personal pick for the Top Ten of 2014.

Fatale #24 (Image): Lots of love for the poetic penultimate issue. I thought it was spectacular, really–visually (different for Phillips on Fatale that’s for sure) and in terms of revelations. Brubaker went Big Bang, man. As I’m remembering, I’m still kinda affected by the whole thing with Josephine’s son. Creepy as hell, but, in the end, necessary, no? Speaking of the end: this is the femme finale–and I have no doubt: “It’s going to hurt.” Yeah, it’s going to be tough to say goodbye to one of our favorite books.

Fatale #24

Low #1 (Image): I couldn’t be any lower on a creator than I am on Remender. Why would I do this to myself??

Outcast #2 (Image): “Demons are the new zombies,” eh? The first issue was a decent set up. It’s no Thomas Alsop, that’s for sure; but I’ll give it a few, you know, to see where it goes. (If you’re not reading Thomas Alsop from BOOM! yet, get on that. You won’t be disappointed.)

Hawkeye #19 (Marvel): Listen up! Apparently, it’s taken Aja a long time to master the art of sign language for this issue. That’s right: try to remember–or I’ll remind: Clint’s gone deaf. So…

Hawkeye #19

Uncanny X-Men #24 (Marvel): I missed the last issue. As a result, I have no idea what secrets Xavier’s will revealed. Now that’s a sin!

The Massive #23 (Dark Horse): Man, Brian Wood is at the top of his game. Proof: The Massive has earned Top 5 honors three months running, with #22 claiming the top spot for April.

Mind MGMT #22 (Dark Horse): My love affair with Mind MGMT continues–despite the fact that #21 earned the most ignominious monthly distinction we have to offer: The Biggest Dis(appointment) of April. Say it ain’t so, Scott! Oh, I’ve said it and written it–right here.

Mind MGMT #22

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #2 (Dark Horse): I’m not a big Star Wars guy. I was when I was a kid, though: had all the toys, put on plays based on Empire. I was always Luke; my cousin, Han. So, Star Wars-wise, this wasn’t a gimme; but it was–because of Kindt. He certainly brought his writing style to the cause, relying heavily on first person narration to sell Solo. I wasn’t particularly sold–again, ain’t my bag–until something struck me like a speeding yellow Rolls Royce! Once I saw Nick Carraway in Jan and Gatsby in Han, the story took a different shape for me. Turns out, this is the Star Wars series I’ve been looking for.

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #2

Dead Boy Detectives #6 (DC/Vertigo): #5 took us through a looking glass, now didn’t it? I just keep falling for this series!

Dead Boy Detectives #6

C.O.W.L. #1 (Image): Gates of Gotham was my first experience with Kyle Higgins. I’m willing to try another–even if the Previews description does sound a bit like Watchmen.

Sheltered #9 (Image): Hasn’t been hitting the same notes that really drew me to the book initially. And still I buy–because, I guess, I haven’t read Lord of the Flies in a while.

Southern Bastards #2 (Image): #1 was easily one of our Top Books of April. Gosh! There was so much I liked about it, and I wrote it all down just for you right here.

Southern Bastards #2

Trees #1 (Image): Warren Ellis is branching out all of a sudden, isn’t he? Moon Knight‘s been very good through three issues, which has served to grow expectations for this very different story, with its roots in… OK. I’ll stop; don’t want to get too sappy.

Trees #1

Iron Patriot #3 (Image): Ales Kot hasn’t caught me yet, but Garry Brown’s been a sure bet. Says a lot if I’m buying a book for the art.

Ms. Marvel #4 (Marvel): #3 was really, really good. C. Willow Wilson shines when she highlights Kamala Khan and her family, much in the same way Bendis made–and may still be making–magic with Miles Morales. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s following the Bendis formula, which is a pretty smart move. Biggest fear: the Inhuman connection will suck the life out of this book; it’s been a concern ever since the mist came a-rollin’ in.

Brass Sun #1 (2000 AD): I lost interest in Hinterkind pretty quickly, so Ian Edginton isn’t a must buy or a must try; but the Previews description left me trying to picture “a clockwork solar system where planets whirl on vast metal arms and the sun of cogs is worshipped as a god”–and now I want to see what it looks like! We’ll see if I.N.J. Culbard can live up to the images in my nerdy mind.

Brass Sun #1

Doc Savage Anuual 2014 (Dynamite): Annuals rarely work out well–especially when a different creative team is in charge. Speaking of charge: $5.99? Really? I can’t imagine that that much value will be added to the book to warrant a two buck bump.

The Midas Flesh #6 (BOOM!): Has gotten heavy fingered–and seriously so. The damn heavy finger has flicked away all the fun! Don’t get me wrong: I’ve enjoyed the ethical dilemma at the heart of the book; the situation surrounding it is pure gold, after all. But the dialogue’s become a real drag, its being weighed down by wheel spinning and redundancies and all. I mean, what is this? The Republic? No: The Republic actually goes somewhere. Sad to say, Ryan North’s gone a bit south. But there are only two issues left, so…

Rover Red Charlie #6 (Avatar): What a weird series, right? So many affective moments offset by the inevitable Avatar moments. You know the moments of which I speak. Which will win the day here in the finale? Hoping it’s the former. Please let it be the former.

Rover Red Charlie #6

Shadowman: End Times #2 (Valiant): OK, so I’ve erased five blurbs. Thing is, I still don’t know why I’ve followed Shadowman this far. Yeah, that might explain why we’re in the End Times.

The Twilight Zone #5 (Dynamite): The first arc was pretty sharp. Definitely Straczynski at his best. Hoping to get more of the same going forward.

#5. Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel): I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Mike Allred brings out the best in his writers. For most of his existence, the Silver Surfer has been a solemn, portentous presence in the Marvel universe. To be fair, this was written into Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s very concept of the character: he’s the herald of Galactus, destroyer of worlds, after all. If the Surfer showed up, your goose was cooked. Of course, in the end he sacrificed his freedom, not once but twice in order to avert disaster. The tragic nature of the character has been explored by writers ever since, from Steve Englehart to Jim Starlin and perhaps best exemplified in Stan Lee’s Epic return to the character in Parable (drawn with graceful panache by the legendary french artist Moebius). All well and good, but somehow left unexplored in all of this was what was originally suggested by Kirby’s truly rad character design: a genius amalgam of surf culture and space age sleekness (this was the ’60’s after all). Outside of Carmine Infantino’s design for The Flash, the look of the Surfer is simply the coolest representation of that bold, optimistic era. Space Opera meets Pop Art. A gnarly rider of the cosmic waves, he puts the Silver in Silver Age. So why’s he such a bummer all the time? Where’s the fun?

Enter Mike Allred. As many (but not enough) comics fans know, Allred’s seminal Madman was almost single-handedly putting the fun back in superhero comics back in the 1990’s. In an era defined by, dank, “gritty” violence (which somehow purported to be more “mature”) Madman harkened back to a time of limitless, zany possibility. That an “independent” comic had to remind the Big Two how it was done was sad commentary on comics of the era. Now, twenty years later, and “mainstream” (whatever that means) superheroes are finally catching up. And at Marvel, Allred is finding a fertile ground to play in. On the recently concluded FF, writer Matt Fraction wisely amped up the absurdity to take advantage of his artist’s manic sensibility. The result was one of Marvel’s most entertaining books in recent years. Call it the “Allred Effect” (please do, I’m accepting royalties).

Now, with writer Dan Slott, he’s taking on one of the big guns. And if the first issue’s any indication, we’re in for a grand ol’ time. Slott, no stranger to strangeness, what with his runs on Great Lakes Avengers and Ren & Stimpy, again wisely plays to his artist’s strengths, setting the story on a fantastical casino/resort/amusement park the size of a planet (seriously, dig the double-page spread). Slott stays true to the character however; indeed the comedy arises out of the contrast between the ever-serious Surfer and his increasingly ridiculous surroundings. In a similar vein, Slott highlights the bizarre bazaar even further by cleverly juxtaposing it with the quotidian goings-on at the quaintest little New England bed and breakfast you ever saw. And all of it rendered by Allred (with beautiful colors by his wife Laura) whose wild and wooly aesthetic, brimming with possibility, is the guiding principle for the book. This promises to be fun. (DM)

Silver Surfer #1

#4. The Massive #21 (Dark Horse): Oh, we’ve been waiting for this! Boys and girls, Brian Wood has done it! The patient poet, who tells a mighty fine tale in a most measured meter, has finally followed a spectacular second stanza–the most recent celebrated just last month in this very blog–with a worthy third that doesn’t simply satisfy–it electrifies! Wood, ever the simmering salesman, at last has boiled over, has pulled the trigger at precisely the right moment, ending the arc by ending Arkady and, perhaps more significantly, the malignant matter of trust between the cancer-ridden Callum and his loyal Ninth Wave mate, Mag. And, as a bookended bonus, Wood, with a little Bay City backstory at the beginning, teases even more about Mary, and, at the end, marries her mystery to that of The Massive and the Crash. Garry Brown, busy now with Marvel’s Iron Patriot, delivers some of his best work on the series, evidenced emphatically by a final splash that reveals exactly what’s on Callum’s mind: the song that cinches it–that links the lady in question to the last day of the world as they knew it–and this last issue of The Massive as we know it. That’s right: expectations have officially been rejiggered: Wood and Brown aren’t all slow boil, after all; if they need to, it’s quite clear: they can scald. Can’t wait to see how this mystery, one of the more intriguing in comics today, plays out in the next arc: Sahara. I can already feel the heat! (SC)

The Massive #21

#3. Lazarus #7 (Image): Looking for a lift? Ain’t gonna find it here; I mean, just look at the cover:

Lazarus #7

Instead, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark segue smoothly into the next sequence of steps in the well-choreographed comparison between Forever Carlyle and Casey Solomon, joylessly juxtaposing the incomparable plights of Family and Waste. The opening scene, paced patiently in order to deliver an emotional punch, is a trying training exercise that exposes the fledgling Forever’s fragility. During the revealing conversation between Forever and her mentor, Marisol, Lark plays angles and eyes to perfection, amplifying the pain of innocence lost–of growing up Forever. Casey, on the other hand, doesn’t have the luxury of training; she must master the moment when it arises–and in the “Badlands,” a moment “Kraks” the night and cruelly cuts down young Leigh, which leads to Casey’s first two “Kraks” at doing what needs be done–and she is masterful. Yes, the storylines are solid: the terrorist threat still exists, and present-day Forever and Johanna work toward breaking Emma, the one suspect they have in custody, by offering to lift her from Waste to Serf; and the Barrets, whose hopes for the future have been slashed by a third, still have their sights set on Denver, which is where the all-important–and apparently well-attended–Lift Selection will take place. But what makes this issue one of our selections is the impeccably employed parallelism, which brings a curious parity to a world where there seemingly is none. (SC)

#2. Afterlife With Archie #4(Archie): “Please don’t…Don’t make me do this,” indeed. I’m crying right now. Crying! All I did was open the damn book to refresh myself—you know, in order to piece together a proper review—and then “Ker-rasshhh!!!” I mean, I can’t even. See: when Vegas—Archie’s fiercely loyal four-legged best friend—vaults through the window, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla are the ones sending shards of glass poisoned with flashback-fueled nostalgia into my heart, which bleeds freely during the succeeding sacrifice—a brilliant sequence amplified by the dutiful dog’s thoughts and his pleading eyes—and coaxes my eyes to commiserate in their own salty style. The creators push the pace and impose another emotional toll—paid in more tears!–as Archie must play the same role Vegas played for him as he protects his mother from his zombified father—a smashing sequence in its own right, highlighted by a fifteen-panel masterpiece: a puzzle comprised violently and lovingly of pieces from the present and the past. Even though Archie’s able to hit a regretful homerun, there’s clearly no rest for the weary–or the teary: Vegas is back, this time looking to make a meal of his master; and the only way to escape is to “Ker-rashhh!” an old car through the garage door. Yeah, despite all of the tears it’s easy to see how it all comes together—into an exquisitely composed book well worth celebrating as one of the very best of the month. (SC)

Afterlife with Archie #4

#1. Stray Bullets: Killers #1(El Capitan/Image): Picture it: 1995. The comics landscape was a far different place. Mutants were everywhere. Just slapping an “X” in front of a title ensured sales in the bajillions. DC was in between its endless Crises. Image was a far cry from what it is today, with top-selling titles like Spawn, and Witchblade. Scantily-clad women with tiny feet and permanent wedgies threw down with half-metal men who were always missing an eye against demonic bad guys that were all teeth and claws. And oh, the guns, guns, those giant guns, and blades with ridiculous hilts, and bikini armor and all manner of accessories ill-suited for an actual fight. And all of it drawn in a sleek, substance-less style that suggested the artist had never seen what an actual weapon or tooth or woman actually looked like.

Into this morass of hyperventilating adolescent fantasy quietly appeared the first issue of a little black and white self-published comic called Stray Bullets. It was written and drawn by a relative unknown named David Lapham who’d done some work for Valiant or something. Like the above examples, it was printed on paper, with a front and back cover and was held together by two staples. And there the similarities ended.

That’s not to say that the first issue wasn’t violent. It’s called Stray Bullets for a reason. But it dropped the reader into the quiet moments between the violence in a way that felt completely natural. This realism made the threat of violence, its inevitability, all the more terrifying. Set in the future year of 1997, the story traced the night where Everything Went Wrong; the night a quiet, easily overlooked nobody became a mass murderer. As the body count mounted, so did our sense of dread, as we recognized this all too plausible world as our own. An act of violence also haunted the second issue. Set twenty years prior (Lapham is constantly time-hopping in the series), an 8 year old girl witnesses a murder and is robbed of her innocence utterly. She is Virginia Applejack, and she’s the closest thing the series had to a main character. After the character studies of the first two issues, the third introduced an expansive cast in a kinetic, beautifully orchestrated group scene that would’ve done Robert Altman proud. And then, just when you thought you had a handle on it, the sixth issue completely pulled the rug out from under you.

Part of the beauty of these stories was that Lapham designed each to be a complete experience unto itself and yet also pieces of a larger whole. Characters who were the focus of one story might drop into the background of another. A world was being created, one alley, trailer, sucker at a time.

Now, when it first appeared, the comic book that SB got most compared to was Sin City. But, other than an element of crime, Frank Miller’s stylized testosterone noir pastiche had nothing in common with Lapham’s slice-of-life-turned-on-its-head approach. The forced comparison occurred simply because there was nothing else in comics to compare it to. More than Miller’s .45 slug, SB was a cannon blast through the conventions of comics. No, in order to find suitable comparisons, one had to look to film: Altman, Cassavetes, the Coen Brothers, film noir, etc. In fact, given the interconnected structure of smaller stories forming a larger tapestry, the contemporary work that provided the best correlation was perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. But whereas that masterpiece juggled three stories over the span of a couple of days, Lapham pulled off his magic trick for forty issues covering a couple of decades. And then, in 2005, he stopped. He started doing work for hire at the Big Two and elsewhere; presumably there were bills to be paid. And while he did some interesting work, none of it ever approached the scope and ambition of SB.

Fast forward nearly ten years. The comic book landscape is a much different place, offering a wider selection of genre, story and innovation than any time in its history. Creators have more freedom and opportunity now to pursue their own mad visions. And actually be paid for them. The time was finally ripe for SB to return. (I don’t know what stars had to align, but it is to Image Comics’ eternal credit that they played a part in it.) But then…foreboding. There’s always a danger in revisiting greatness. Considering how high he’d set the bar the first time around, could Lapham possibly regain his form? Did he still have that edge?

Well the results are in, and man, he hasn’t missed a beat. Killers #1 is everything a fan could ask for and more: sex, violence, secrets, betrayal. Like the story of Virginia Applejack, this issue involves a child who sees things he shouldn’t have, and the consequences thereof. The story structure, the beautiful, clear art, that sweet, sweet sense of dread, it’s all here. From the first panel, there’s no doubt you’re in the hands of a storytelling maestro. If you’ve read SB before, there are callbacks to the original series that enrich the story. If you haven’t, then this is a great jumping on point. But then every issue of SB is a great jumping on point; as I said, Lapham’s designed them that way.

People are calling this the return of the most acclaimed crime comic of all time. But SB is more than just a crime comic. It’s about safe, recognizable lives turned upside down by the awful world around them. Like all great art, it’s a mirror, albeit a shattered one. So instead of calling it a crime comic or restricting it to some other genre, I’ll simply say: it’s the return of the best comic ever. (DM)

Stray Bullets: Killers #1

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Rachel Rising #24(Abstract Studio): Here’s a little secret: the book we choose for The Biggest Dis is generally not the worst book we’ve read that month. Rather it is the book that failed, often spectacularly, to approach whatever expectations we had for it. Our expectations are nearly always attached to our experience with the creator(s) involved. So our BD is often directed at a title or creator that we hold in some regard.

We’ve been cheerleaders for Terry Moore’s Rachel Rising almost from the start. Indeed, we included it in our Top Ten Books of 2013. The story of competing, reawakening evils, threatening to consume the sleepy town of Manson and the dead girl caught in the middle, was a slow burn, alternating between between spare, atmospheric lyricism and spasmodic violence. Moore’s considerable chops were on display from the get go: engaging characters, an ear for gallows humor and the perfected art of the unannounced shock, often serving as a cliffhanger for the next issue. And of course, the unparalleled black and white artwork, each page a master’s class in composition, concision and storytelling. Everything clicked, resulting in the best horror comic on the market. For over twenty-three issues the tension inexorably built toward a showdown of biblical proportion.

How truly dispiriting then to read issue twenty-four. The putative climax to the story, it is such a rushed, slapdash affair as to scarcely seem part of the same series. Where we had drama, we now have farce. The interaction of the characters is forced and completely unconvincing. The threat turns out to have been not very threatening at all. And the moment of truth is so anticlimactic, it feels like a cheat.

I understand there may have been financial considerations at play. Moore has publicly discussed ending Rachel Risingdue to poor sales. But that, at the risk of sounding mean-spirited, is not the concern of the readers who’ve been faithfully following the story for over two years. Whether or not he could continue in the long or even the short run, his audience, however small, deserved a better effort than this. And, as it turns out, he is continuing the series. A month ago I would’ve considered this cause for celebration. Whether or not I will follow him now is suddenly, and sadly, an open question. (DM)

Sorry our list is late. I blame Derek for having passed on his half of the Top 5 because his wife gave birth to his second child–another beautiful daughter–or something silly like that.

#5. Lazarus #6 (Image): Greg Rucka’s not a shy guy. We know which way he leans politically–and there’s plenty of leaning here in Lazarus. Sure, he could easily have turned this series into a didactic dystopian diatribe; however, he handles the political landscape with class, never becoming too heavy handed. This chapter is beautifully bookended: it kicks off with a flashback to a young Forever–and the simmering mystery regarding her family ties–and ends with the hope of a brighter future for old Dennis’s granddaughter–a future with a family not her own. The issue is a slow burn, satisfyingly so, which at its peak features the fleeting threat of violence. Michael Lark’s art is as effective as ever, but it’s the pacing, the patience, that propels this part of the story. (SC)

#4. The Twilight Zone #2 (Dynamite): J. Michael Straczynski’s a frustrating fella. His Joe’s Comics line, in general, has been a major disappointment; but we’re still willing to give him a shot, aren’t we? Of course, we are: he’s JMS, after all. And good thing, too: The Twilight Zone is something special–even if it isn’t so unique. See: the storyline–what makes this initial arc a believable Twilight Zone episode–is the very same storyline at the center of JMS’s Sidekick. No kidding! But I’m not going to speculate as to the reason for his identical identity-swapping plots; instead, I’m going to put that inconvenient truth aside and celebrate what he’s done well. Let’s be honest: it’s no surprise that Straczynski shines here: after all, he wrote episodes of The Twilight Zone television series some twenty-five years ago; and those TV writing chops are seen specifically in the furious pace that is set, the result of narration and dialogue designed to launch the story into the stratosphere, where, in true Twilight Zone fashion, the impossible becomes even more impossible: Trevor Richmond, who is technically the re-faced former Trevor Richmond, finds a new and improved Trevor Richmond, who unsettlingly looks the part and is looking to right the former’s wrongs–in the boardroom and in the bedroom–and the former is none to happy about it! Straczynski and artist Guiu Vilanova set Trevor Prime in motion–a la Dan Aykroyd’s Louis Winthorpe III from Trading Places: he gets scoffed at, shot at, frying-panned at; and, unable to take it anymore, he swears revenge “one way…or the other” on an ominous final page that makes us believe him. Something tells me that this new Trevor Richmond isn’t exactly what he looks like. (SC)

Twilight Zone #2

#3. The Massive #20 (Dark Horse): Once again, Brian Wood wields tension like a gun loaded with climaxes but not fired. He offers us a rope; we willingly pull it taut; and he challenges us along the way, never allowing any slack, but also never threatening to snap the rope in two. The telling tug-of-war extends to the characters, as well: Mag vs. agents of Arkady–and then Arkady himself; Cal vs. Yusup, himself a seemingly reluctant agent of Arkady; and, ultimately, roiling beneath the surface, waiting to boil over, Cal vs. Mag. The juxtaposition of the conversations is choreographed elegantly, and executed expertly by the game Garry Brown, through to the final page of this deliberate dance–a final page that hints at Wood’s willingness to finally pull the trigger: as his page-bound proxy promises, come next issue, “[A]ll will be made clear.” Oh, and there’s something about Mary–something very mysterious and melodious about Mary. (SC)

The Massive #20

#2. Fatale #20 (Image): Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Fatale has been a well-Lovecrafted hypnotic thrill-ride from the smoking hot and super suggestive first issue. But none has possessed as much raw demonic power as this month’s offering, in which Josephine lights up and lets go, revealing several sides of herself, including, most notably, her desperate suiside–well, her numerous attempts, anyway. She’s driven to find Nick, and she ain’t kiddin’ around: in fact, in a particularly creepy scene, she kicks a kid–a boy who hits puberty hard in Jo’s “pretty, pretty” presence–out of a car she jacks and leaves him in the middle of the road, another casualty of the ruinous raven-haired femme fatale, who, in the end, lobotomizes Lance with a cigarette-flavored kiss and saves Nick, but not before leaving him with a memory that blows his mind–and an issue that blows ours to smithereens. Sexy mothereffing smithereens. (SC)

Fatale #20

#1. Mind MGMT #19 (Dark Horse): And now for Matt Kindt’s next trick: using a torn paper technique and tri-color coding to affect four–count ’em: four!–concurrent narratives, the incomparable creator sends Meru to Berlin for the next stop on her magical mystery recruitment tour, leaving us with that childish sense of wonder only a true wizard of the medium can inspire. The Magician’s Tale–the issue’s spine, fractured from the moment the fem illusionist first steps on stage–takes us on a vertical adventure, page after page, from fleeing the increasingly unfriendly audience–and the agents she’s identified in it–all the way to the welcoming arms of the new Mind Management. Attempting to keep pace with the disgraced mage, Meru’s crew splits into two teams, each–in its own series of panels–heading horizontally toward some precarious parallelism–all while the Eraser and her gang, in their own longitudinal fashion, actively pursue, and ultimately score the former agent. Doesn’t matter for whom you’re rooting: it’s an issue that deserves a standing ovation and the top spot in our Top 5. (SC)

Mind MGMT #19

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Rover Red Charlie #3 (Avatar)

Our heroic hounds chasing chickens? A tasty treat! Umm, but having a former feeder toss a bulldog’s kibbles leaves a bad taste in the mouth, doesn’t it? Ugh. (SC)

The Massive #21 (Dark Horse): #20 was one of our Top Five Books of February–and deservedly so. Brian Wood and Garry Brown have hit all the right notes leading up to this arc ender–a real “Bloc” buster!

Mind MGMT #20 (Dark Horse): It might seem as if we’re getting paid to say so, but, no, it’s just true: #19 was our #1 book of February. That’s back-to-back top spots! And let’s not forget that #17 was our top single issue of 2013! Innovation has been at the heart of our celebration; in that, we can’t wait to see what Matt Kindt has come up with this time around.

Dead Boy Detectives #4 (DC/Vertigo): So very Vertigo, isn’t it? Has hooked me much in the same way John Ney Rieber hooked me with The Books of Magic ongoing back in the day. I love how the three narrative voices come together–kind of like the comic book version of Peter, Paul, and Mary.

Dead Boy Detectives #4

The Sandman: Overture #2 (DC/Vertigo): I’m already over its being overdue. I’m not much of a Gaimanite. It’s all about J.H. Williams for me. His art is always welcome in my bag.

The Wake #7 (DC/Vertigo): Can’t say that I understand the celebratory waves left in the wake of the first five issues. But what I can say with certainty is that I liked #6 quite a bit–despite some expository dialogue that smacks of a Sci-Fi original movie. The clever cliffhanger–one of several selling points of #6–calls quickly–too quickly?–to mind what’s come before, making this month’s offering as crucial as can be. The danger: doling out too much or too little here in #7. Snyder’s got to play this one just right.

Alex + Ada #5 (Image): Sure, the forum discussion gets a tad technical, but it is easily chalked up as a necessary evil–one rehabilitated almost immediately by Jonathan Luna’s patient visual storytelling, which, along with complementing well Sarah Vaughn’s more economical approach to the dialogue, accentuates the suspense born of Alex’s choice to reboot Ada. Love the way the issue ends: I’m pretty sure my eyes widened–like Ada’s–in anticipation of that final page turn, which revealed, to my dismay, a suffering Ada. Kudos to Luna and Vaughn for making me suffer along with Ada in the moment and along with Alex for the last month or so. I’m desperate to discover how this pans out for the two of them three of us.

Alex + Ada #5

Fatale #21 (Image): This siren song of a series hit a high note with #20–our #2 book of February. Yet another insistent miracle from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Not yet willing to accept that Josephine’s story is coming to an end.

Fatale #21

The Manhattan Projects #19 (Image): Can you guess which part of #18 I appreciated the most? If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you know exactly which sequence left me squealing with joy–a hole lot of joy! (Hint: it’s not the one in Oppenheimer’s head.)

Satellite Sam #7 (Image): With #6, it’s back to business and, as a result, a return to form. Matt Fraction’s writing is crisp, the dialogue an intricate dance; Howard Chaykin’s artwork is–as always–out of this world.

Hawkeye #18 (Marvel): Has been a wild ride number-wise, and, as a result, storyline-wise. #17 was kind of fun in a frivolous and furry way. Speaking of: it’s time for another Kate Bishop singleton! Starting to wonder if I’m buying this for Fraction or for his Hawkeye. I’m leaning toward the latter. That’s right: I’m the Leaning Reader of Hawkeye–who may pass on Clint-less copy.

The Bunker #2 (Oni Press): An interesting premise, naturally complicated by the time-travel aspect, delivered with relative ease by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joe Infurnari. Looking forward to this one.

The Bunker #2

Doc Savage #4 (Dynamite): Still haven’t read the first three.

The Midas Flesh #4 (BOOM!): #2 was one of our top books of January. #3 didn’t crack our list for February, but it was solid follow-up that gleefully gave us all the finger–Midas’s finger. That’s some serious WMD: Weaponized Midas Digit. Talk about the spoils of war! The blood is the treasure!

Uber Special #1 (Avatar): I’m still diggin’ Uber. Not too sure how much we need a “special,” though.

The Massive #20 (Dark Horse): #19 struggled a bit to to rise to the level of “Longship.” It was to be expected, I suppose, even as expectations were expectedly ramped up as a result of the exquisite study in tension that was the showdown between Cal Israel and Bors Bergson. In general, there is something magical about how Brian Wood gets more out of simmering than most get out of boiling.

Mind MGMT #19 (Dark Horse): Matt Kindt is working at a completely different level; and, in that, he’s competing against himself–and winning, wouldn’t you know! Oh, you know–because you’re a regular reader of Mind MGMT, right? If you’ve been a regular reader of our humble blog, then you know that #16 was our favorite issue until #17 came along and earned our coveted Best Single Issue of 2013 award. #18–our #1 book of January 2014–has trumped #17 as our favorite issue of Mind MGMT to date; so you know what we’re expecting: #19 is going to be better still! It’s going to be magic!

The Wake #6 (DC/Vertigo): According to Scott Snyder: “#5 [was] the big game changer.” If that means that the series is suddenly going to get interesting, a bit more challenging, then terrific. If it simply speaks to the leap forward in time that we’ve been hanging onto since #1, then I’m bored already. Aside from some Snyder-esque horror in #3, the series has been an absolute snoozefest. This is a rep-read–did I just coin that?–if there ever was one.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31 (IDW): I’m still marveling over the fact that I’m reading a Turtles book. Thing is, it’s good. The writing’s solid, and Ross Campbell’s art is terrific; it suits the situation in which the Turtles find themselves perfectly. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Mateus Santolouco’a return to the title is just around the corner. Sweet!

TMNT #31

Deadly Class #2 (Image): I’ve about reached the end of my Remender rope. But I have just enough left for this one. I hope I get a bit more than recycled schemes, though.

Rat Queens #5 (Image): It sure as hell ain’t high art, but who gives a rat’s ass? Wiebe and Upchurch are spreading a plague of royal merriment! Catch it as quickly as you can!

Rat Queens #5

Satellite Sam #6 (Image): All I remember of #5: lots of below the belt lip service. Now, with the oral stage set, what’s to come, Sigmund Fraction? I hope we get back to business–before the afterglow turns totally to aftergloom.

Sheltered #7 (Image): #6 offered up an interesting angle: the adult as the innocent. Derek and I talked about it here: I&N the Gutter with…Sheltered. I’m hoping that this series stays tight and doesn’t get tedious–like Revival, for instance.

Three #5 (Image): #3 was great. #4 didn’t quite have the same impact but was a damn fine follow up with an edge of your seat cliffhanger. Can’t wait to see how it plays out here in #5. Kieron Gillen’s got something really good going with Three. Looks like when he’s doing his own thing, as with Uber, he’s much more effective and, ultimately, more engaging. He grabs his angle, does his research, and soars.

Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel): James Robinson’s The All-New Invaders has been a major disappointment. In fact, we called out #1 as our Biggest Dis(appointment) of January. We all know that Robinson’s capable of so much more. Well, I hope he brings that more to Fantastic Four–and I hope what he and Leonard Kirk bring together as a team to “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” justifies the reboot.

Hawkeye #15 (Marvel): Wouldn’t you know: a filtered Fraction is a much better–and certainly sexier–Fraction. But Fraction’s only half of the team that’s serving up the second best hero book–after Daredevil , of course–in the Marvel Universe: David Aja has a hand–a very active hand, sexually actually–in the sexification of Clint Barton, as well. Hey Derek! Smart move jumping onto Mind MGMT–finally. Now it’s time to set your sights on some super hero action. What are you waiting for? I’ll even lend you my trades!

Hawkeye #15

Miracleman #3 (Marvel): I’m hooked on Alan Moore’s Miracleman! Gosh, I wish I had read these stories back in the day, though. But thanks to Marvel for giving me an opportunity enjoy them now. Could do without all of the ancillary material, however.

Doc Savage #3 (Dynamite): On the strength of Derek’s recommendation, I’ve picked up the first two, but I haven’t gotten around to reading them yet.

X-O Manowar #22 (Valiant): A reliable read, though rarely remarkable. Aric, however, remains one of my favorite characters. I wonder whether or not Aric’s involvement in Unity will bring a little something extra to this book. We’ll see.